What goes on behind the scenes!

I'm talking about what Jane and I get up to!  Well nothing much really except of course we e.mail each other a great deal as we don't live very close, occasionally I visit her but at other times 'Im in the garage tends to make the journey more often as he visits his mother who lives in the same town.  As today is Mothering Sunday here in the UK and I do mean Mothering Sunday, not 'Mother's Day',  that is where he is at the moment. However, he did take with him the latest batch of shuttles and hooks for Jane to sell in her Etsy Shop.  I have on good authority that the aforementioned will be going 'live' on Thursday night (UK time) but Jane will tell you more about that tomorrow on her blog. Meanwhile I have been 'home alone' as my two sons are too far away to visit.  

Jane and I inevitably talk about tatting and designs over the internet, mind you that is rather one sided because Jane, as you know, seems to create patterns in her sleep!  Whereas my tatting creations are planned in my head but rarely get further than that.  However, sometimes I manage to make those ideas become reality, but patience is often lacking, along with of course time.  If I manage to progress with a piece of tatting that I am designing I obviously scan it and send it to Jane for comments, in fact she frequently does the same when she is designing something. We are completely honest with each other and at times that is very hard when you don't want to say negative things.

So here I am, or rather my neck!  Wearing my latest design.

I love necklaces, well in fact all jewelry, but very aware that tatting needs to be quite firm if it is to be worn around the neck, otherwise it tends to curl.  With this design I put beads in the first row and then added some chains which naturally makes the tatting curve but perhaps more importantly gives it that firmness which is very necessary.  I suspect someone else has probably done something similar so really can't claim it as my own, nevertheless I wanted to share it with you. 

This was the first necklace that I made and here you see it pictured with a sprigs

 of rosemary.

Rosemary is for remembrance, especially for those who have died.

The snowdrop you can see has become a symbol of Mary's purity and quite apt for Mothering Sunday

The next necklace I plan to make will be using one of Jess's threads, can't wait to see how that looks!